Comment by Jody Stecher on July 20, 2012 at 23:24

Compare the ears in these two shots. I'd say they are the same person. They are both supposed to be Vess Ossman so I think they probably are.

Comment by thereallyniceman on July 21, 2012 at 8:28

Ah Jody, I always thought that the second photo was of Vess Ossman Junior (Vess's son).

Often mistakenly posted on the web as Vess L Ossman.  Here I go again. Can anyone else help confirm or deny this?

The video of Vess is probably correct, but seems to come with no provenance when found on the web.

I want it to be Vess as the style of playing is superb, just like John Mills said, and it is a great piece of history!

Comment by Trapdoor2 on July 21, 2012 at 12:37

Yes, as I recall, the bottom photo from Jody is V. Ossman, Jr. He was a very good banjo player in his own right.

Comment by Joel Hooks on July 21, 2012 at 13:13

Yes, the last photo is Vess Jr.  He went on tour with Tom Mix and Schepp in the late 20s as shills for B&D.  Looks like he, like most, took up pick playing to pay the bills.  

Comment by Joel Hooks on July 21, 2012 at 13:26

BTW, a certain collector owns that movie clip, and it is confirmed to be Vess L. Ossman.  Don't quote me, but I believe that it is titled "Turkey in the Straw."  Whatever he is playing, I just mute the sound and watch his hands.   

I like the way he is sitting, I'm a leg crosser myself.

Comment by Jody Stecher on July 21, 2012 at 17:14

whoops. OK. wrong vess, right ears.

Comment by Ray Jones on July 22, 2012 at 0:59

If you look at Hal's Classic Banjo website in the section labelled ' Shoebox ' you can see a photo of Vess Ossman Junior.

Comment by Douglas Back on August 5, 2012 at 14:30

Just saw this video. I am in agreement that Vess Ossman was perhaps the best of the old classic players, along with Fred Bacon, but of course much more prolific.  Good tone, great technique. Now the first films marrying sound with performances didn't happen until the vitaphone days around 1927 with people like Roy Smeck and others. So, obiously this is a Vess Ossman recording matched with some earlier film. It could be Vess Ossman. The man does appear to be closer to 50 than 40, and all the pictures I remember seeing of Ossman show him playing his banjo with his leg crossed. Who knows?

Comment by Douglas Back on August 5, 2012 at 18:41

This post got me curious about Vess Ossman,  and I reread the cover notes to an old lp in my collection, the Banjo Kings, Ossman and Van Eps. Anyway, I see that Ossman was buried in 1923 in the Vahalla Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.  That is only a few miles from where I was raised and maybe ten miles from where my mother currently lives. I'll visit that area again in late November and see if I might be able to find out if Ossman's grave site has a head stone, marker, etc. If not, it might be nice to start a campaign to have something created, sort of what I recall was done for Joe Morley a decade ago or so. Interestingly, St. Louis was also the place that Parke Hunter entered a banjo competition in 1890, tied for first and subsequently teamed with the person who tied with him-Cadwalder (sp?) Mayes.

Comment by Douglas Back on August 5, 2012 at 18:46

p.s.  I now see  from the still photo that he does in fact have his legs crossed.

Add a Comment

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• …
• 9
• Next ›
• Page